Thank you for coming back and checking out week 2! Here is what happened….
Day 8
I wake up after a very good sleep. First I step on the scale – and indeed, I have lost 2 kilos in one week. That was to be expected since by going so low carb a lot of water would have been released with the exhaustion of glucose in my blood . Each gram of glycogen is bound to about 3 grams of water. So I probably haven’t lost any fat yet, but I should be well on my way now!
I’m going to the gym to do a hardcore circuit with weights and cardio intervals and I definitely feel more energy than the previous few days. I also notice that my wee smells sweet – that must be the acetone. Acetone is a ketone body produced in the process of ketosis. I think I’m in ketosis now and the keto flu is over!
For lunch I have a kale smoothie (I add a tablespoon of protein powder again to get that vanilla flavour in there), with added organic extra virgin coconut oil. I also eat the 2nd serve of the tuna salad from the previous night. “Lunch” is really late at after 3 pm and dinner is at 6 pm so I feel like I’m eating nonstop! I’m making a delicious salmon dish with asparagus, I also add some brussel sprouts from the previous night, and a huge rocket salad and a boiled egg. I’m not craving any carbs today, not even sweets.
Day 9
It’s Monday and it’s my favourite workout – spinning! I feel energetic and pumped and give it my all. Energy levels are definitely back up compared to last week. I still feel though as if I was able to push harder before keto. I would definitely like to see what non-endurance athletes experience on a very low carb diet.
Since I had shared my salmon dish with my husband the previous night (I obviously didn’t plan smart enough), I have no leftovers for lunch. However, I’m craving my kale smoothie so I make a big one. I’m adding a tablespoon of protein powder, some organic extra virgin coconut oil and half a handful of blueberries (apparently blueberries are allowed in small amounts on the keto diet). I also have a cup of stock for some salt. This is actually enough because I’m having an early dinner.
Dinner is early because I’m going to my Muay Thai training. I want to eat before training so my “fasting window” is longer, but want to be able to digest a bit before getting punched in my stomach! I am making the recipe of today which is a goat cheese and mushroom frittata – I just leave out the goat cheese obviously. And I add a big salad (it’s like 4 cups!) of mixed greens and rocket. The frittata tastes a bit bland – obviously the cheese would have made a big difference! Note to self – add more spices for next time!
My Muay Thai training is awesome. I have the energy and mental clarity to focus (most of the time anyway).
Day 10
I do my trx workout in the morning. Trx is mostly strength and I feel like this works better than yesterday’s spinning on my keto diet. My hamstrings nearly pop out though at some stage – we’re hitting them hard today! I feel very clear headed today, the best I have felt so far on this low-carb regime. I also don’t crave anything – not even sweets! All the “Keto experts” say that cravings go away when you eat like this, and I doubted that very much – but maybe they are right?
Day 11 – 14
I haven’t measured myself yet, but I can tell from looking in the mirror that I have lost some weight. A couple of people have also mentioned this week that I look slim. I also feel very good – not much different from “before-keto” actually. Sleep quality hasn’t changed either I think. My skin looks slightly better though (luckily I don’t really have skin problems), clearer and fresher. What really surprises me though is the total lack of cravings. Even when I cook pasta for my family I don’t feel tempted! It’s also very easy to go from dinner to late lunch without eating anything in between (i.e. intermittent fasting, zero snacking). If I notice that my blood sugar is dropping too much I have a cup of stock.
The only thing I’m craving now is my kale and spinach smoothie. Maybe because it is slightly sweet thanks to the protein powder, the stevia and the raw extra virgin coconut oil? It is delicious and I consume like 5 or 6 cups of vegetables in a couple of glasses! How efficient is that!
I do my usual workouts without any problems, I can’t see a real difference to training on carbs (sugar burning). On Wednesday I do a double again, spinning in the morning and Muay Thai in the evening and it is no problem.
The following days I do one more trx workout and then I rest. Rest is hard even on keto!
Day 15
Results day! After 2 weeks on the keto diet combined with intermittent fasting, the measurements are as follows:
Weight: – 3 kg
Waist: – 4cm
Thigh (where the thigh is the biggest): – 2cm
Hips (tape measure crosses outermost part of the butt): – 2cm
As mentioned in Day 8, a lot of this weight loss is due to the water that has been released. According to the Diet Doctor, most people lose 2-8 pounds (1-3 kilos) in the first two weeks of a strict low-carb diet. Now, as you know, I’m not a big believer in weight loss being reflected on the scale. So I’m really happy about the loss of centimeters. And I can actually see it in the mirror and as I have mentioned, other people have commented on it as well.
Other benefits I have noticed:
No bloating (well, a couple of times I did because I consumed too much kale or broccoli)
Not sleepy after meals
No cravings (don’t feel like snacking)
All in all, I’m positively surprised how much easier it is to stick to than I expected. I may continue for a while longer – until it’s time to celebrate our wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks anyway. I definitely will have champagne then.
Here are some suggestions for videos to check out on youtube if you are interested in keto and intermittent fasting:
Dr. Eric Berg
Thomas DeLauer
Diet Doctor (Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt)
Dr. Jason Fung (on fasting)
graciousandstrong.com 